Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo says the city is gearing up to present
another free art event to promote Jakarta as a tourism and cultural
hub. The event, dubbed the Jakarta International Performing Arts (JAKIPA) festival, is
slated to take place on Sept. 28-29 at the National Monument (Monas).

Jokowi said he hoped that the festival would encourage residents to gain greater appreciation for artistic performances as well as nurturing an image of
Jakarta as a vibrant tourist destination.

“Besides local performers, audiences will also get to see performers
from other countries including Belarus, Germany, the United States and Vietnam,” he
said at City Hall on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co.

Among the 350 local and international performers who have confirmed their
attendance at the upcoming festival are jazz musician Craig Burton; Acapella
Mataraman from Yogyakarta; the Reog traditional dance group from Ponorogo; the
Sakya Kitri dance group from Palembang; the Melintang traditional dance group from
Lampung, and the Wayang Kampung Sebelah puppet show from Sukoharjo.(hrl/dic)